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The Eagle Creek Chronicles

32K views 216 replies 22 participants last post by  typer181 
#1 ·
I fish Eagle Creek Reservoir 2 or 3 times every week, and figured I could provide some useful info to those considering a trip there.

Can't give away all my secret spots :biggrin1:, but I'm more than happy to let people know what's working and what's not.

Very few folks fish the reservoir for catfish from a boat. Often when I meet a fellow fisherman at the dock they are surprised to hear that I would get my boat all rigged just to target catfish. Most are targeting crappie, large mouth, and walleye (with limited success on the walleye). This stigma against catfish is common in the "sport" fishing community. That just leaves more catfish for me to catch!!

One issue many catfishers have with Eagle Creek is the fact that the Reservoir has a 10hp motor limit. Let me tell you that I have owned several boats over the past 13 years, fished EC with all of them, and the smallest motor I have owned is 35hp. I have been stopped by COs many times to have my fishing license checked, but have never been cited for a motor that is over the posted hp limit. As long as you don't zoom around the sail boaters and are respectful, you shouldn't have any problems. If you want to read the ordinance that outlines the hp restriction, it can be found here. Scroll down to Section 341-204.

It would be great to meet some of you out there. Be glad to share my favorite shad spots!

Stay tuned!
 
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#59 ·
I was out from about 6 till 11. Came is a little early cause I have to take my kids to band practice this morning. Boated 3 but not very big. We fished the South end of the lake but didn't get out of the idle zone. From the looks of your nephews pic, I should have been fishing deeper water. Congratulations to him!

Someone left some Indiana Catfish Conservation Association stickers on my window. I tried to look up a web page but kept getting an error from their website. My search says they have a FB page but when I go there, all of the posts are fairly old. You you or anyone reading this post know anything about the organization?
 
#60 · (Edited)
Lol, I put that sticker in your window. Figured that was you :)

The ICCA is a group we started a few years back in order to help save trophy cats from over harvest by commercial fisherman. Even though the group isn't as active as before, I still like to promote the concept of the ICCA to create awareness about the situation, which to a large degree still exists.
 
#63 ·
Finally got out today to do some bank fishing on Eagle Creek. Managed to reel in this beast, lol! But that was it. Sure felt good to be outside.
Used a #4 circle hook and a small piece of skipjack. They weren't hitting fresh cut chubs, but our skips were getting tons of bites. I was surprised to see channels so interested a fish they normally would never encounter.
Tree Grass Photography Plant
 
#66 ·
Went out with Mr. Catfish today. Wind was cold and brutal. Shad were hard to find and cats were impossible to find. Then we hit a submerged stump and that was the straw that broke the camels back and sent us back to the ramp to search for beer on dry ground :)
I will say that I saw a few boats tearing up crappie in the shallows. Guy showed me a stringer of crappie that was full. They sure looked delicious!
 
#67 · (Edited)
Public Service Announcement: Do not attempt to fish with a boat with a motor larger than 9.9hp! This week, the Indianapolis Park Rangers started enforcing the ordinance relating to the hp limit.
They won't even let you launch with your trolling motor, I was told by the officer that my trolling motor was not a reliable means of propulsion. If you have a motor over 9.9hp, the only way they will permit you to launch is if you have a gas powered kicker that is 9.9hp or less.
I would really love to elaborate on the ambiguity of the ordinance (Sec. 341-204) and the lack of knowledge of the law by the Park Ranger, but I will save all of that for the hearing with the City Counsel. The only tidbit I will divulge, is another ordinance that also applies to Eagle Creek Reservoir, which if properly enforced, like 341-204, would have major economic repercussions:

Marion County Ordinance Sec. 341-203 - Unlawful Operation Generally:

It shall be unlawful for the owner of any boat to operate or cause, suffer or permit the boat to operate or permit such boat to be operated at any other place on Lake Indy or Eagle Creek Reservoir than those places so designated by the board of parks and recreation, or the board having jurisdiction thereover.

No boating activity shall be carried on within five hundred (500) yards of Eagle Creek dam.


Please pay close attention to the last sentence. If you take a look at Eagle Creek Reservoir on Google Earth, you can easily measure the 500 yard distance from the dam. You will notice two important details. 1. Rick's Cafe boat docks are 10 yards from this restricted area, meaning that anytime a pontoon boat leaves those docks they are immediately entering restricted area and are in violation of Sec. 341-203 and should be ticketed and fined. 2. The bay on the west side of the Reservoir, that leads back to the Sailing Club, is cut off from the main body of the Reservoir by the restricted area. Therefore, all sailboats that exit that bay are entering a restricted waterway and are in violation of Sec. 341-203 and should be ticketed and fined.

To be continued...
 
#69 ·
Side note: We were only out there to launch the boat, tie up to the dock and replace the bunk boards on my trailer. They would not let me launch my boat without a kicker motor. I drove back to work (30 minutes each way) and put my kicker on, launched the boat (without starting either motor) to do a 15 minute repair on my trailer. It was good to have Typer181 along to talk to the Park Ranger, my conversation would not have been so cordial.
 
#71 ·
That's one part of the issue that will be addressed.

And check out this image, this shows the 500 yard restricted waterway from the face of the Eagle Creek Dam as stated in Sec. 341-203.

Map Infrastructure Land lot Geological phenomenon Estuary

Myself, along with the fellas that operate and participate in the bass tournaments on Eagle Creek, are forming a coalition to update the outdated city ordinances that are obviously ridiculous and are being selectively enforced. We are the Eagle Creek Conservation Coalition.

We would like to see the motor size restriction removed from Eagle Creek Reservoir, and replaced with a no-wake rule for boats with motors over 9.9hp for the entire lake, the restricted distance from the dam be restated to a reasonable distance, and the Lake Indy wording be disassociated from it's common wording with Eagle Creek Reservoir.
 
#72 ·
Forgot to post about my trip out with my father-in-law this past Monday. He has a "legal " motor :)
We put 14 channels in the boat, largest was 12lbs which is a decent catch out there.
All caught drifting fresh shad. Gut cut was working well. Most fish came in 6 to 9fow. Have been seeing more fish caught on rigs I make with small spinners and a versa rattle.
 
#74 ·
I finally got my boat running again, and I've been spending a good amount of time on EC. Unfortunately the bite has been minimal. I've anchored on structure, deep and shallow. Drifted just about everywhere. Still can only catch a dink or two in a night of fishing.
Hopefully the rain this weekend wakes the fish up!
 
#75 ·
Fished last night and finally found some decent channels that were hungry. Found a bunch stacked up on the edge of a flat, and very focused on 17-19fow. The thermocline looked like it was at 20fow.
Didn't fish long, but boated 7 in the 3-5lb range. They were wanting big cuts of fresh shad. The Santee cut seemed to be well received :)
 
#76 ·
Got out for a few hours tonight. All of the fish I found on the edge of the flat two nights ago had moved elsewhere, which threw off my game plan.

Ended up in the sailing club bay and the water was glass. I noticed some signs of cats chasing shad fry around the surface, so I switched to my rattle/spinner surface rig, tipped with a small shad fillet on a charlie brown circle.

If you have ever seen a WW2 movie where they show a torpedo putting up a wake from just below the surface, that's what it looks like when a 5lb channel comes in for the kill on the surface rig. Definitely the coolest way to see a catfish acting like the predator it is!

I'm finding large shad out there. If you need help finding them, let me know via pm.
 
#77 ·
Got out for a few hours tonight. All of the fish I found on the edge of the flat two nights ago had moved elsewhere, which threw off my game plan.

Ended up in the sailing club bay and the water was glass. I noticed some signs of cats chasing shad fry around the surface, so I switched to my rattle/spinner surface rig, tipped with a small shad fillet on a charlie brown circle.

If you have ever seen a WW2 movie where they show a torpedo putting up a wake from just below the surface, that's what it looks like when a 5lb channel comes in for the kill on the surface rig. Definitely the coolest way to see a catfish acting like the predator it is!

I'm finding large shad out there. If you need help finding them, let me know via pm.
Love it!! I've seen that with big Pike chasing my spinner-baits, but never catfish. Sweet!

Matt
 
#78 ·
Went out a couple of nights last week, and it has been slim pickings. 3 of the 4 fish boated last night were from surface rigs.
Anyone else noticing geese flocking, hummingbirds fighting at the feeder? Two signs of autumn that are very early this year.
 
#81 ·
Here is the version that has been working the best recently. It kicks and rattles, and i put a small shad fillet on the hook. I also use this rig sometimes when drifting. I buy the spinner blades at Tackle Service Center in Mooresville, rattle from W.S.T., and that's a Charlie Brown circle hook.
Orange Fish hook Spoon lure Bait Fishing lure
 
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